Green Infrastructure
Green infrastructure is a concept that originated in the 1990’s in the United States. Initially if referred to the planning of land development to have low impact on the environment.
Various global organizations have expanded this definition to included the re-engineering of support systems to not only be less of an impact on our enviorment but also more efficient in the use of resources.
Here at Got2BeGreen we include all the contributors to the implementation of green infrastructure; global organizations who write guidelines, green manufacturers of construction materials, renewable energy providers, innovators in agriculture, waste management and transportation.
If you’ve been paying attention to the news over the last few years, you’ve no doubt seen all the coverage of solar and wind energy. Both hold promise, from new investment to new jobs to new industries around the country, in depressed economies like Michigan.
But are solar and wind really viable options to replace the backbone of our current energy system, based mostly on dirty coal and potentially dangerous nuclear generation? Walter Kohn, a Ph.D. who shared the 1998 Nobel Prize in chemistry, says yes.
Now Kohn’s viewpoint may not be the final answer on this issue, but it’s worth considering, especially against the backdrop of plans for more coal and nuclear power generation in the United States. Kohn made the statements at a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Kohn says total oil and natural gas production, which today accounts for the majority of global energy consumption, is expected to peak in as little as 10 years from now, followed by a rapid decline. Read More »
The Japanese company Blest has done something truly astonishing. They have created a machine which converts plastics back into oil. To be more accurate, they have developed several such machines, in varying sizes, from a home table top model to larger industrial scale versions meant for continuous use.
You can watch the Blest CEO, Akinori Ito, explain the machine in this video. According to what is shown in the subtitle clip, any type of plastic, including styrofoam, plastic bags and bottle caps, can be converted back into oil. The oil can then be converted into gasoline and other oil by-products.
I don’t know why we haven’t been hearing about it before now, since the technology has been around for over a year, but the $10,000 price tag does make it less than accessible for most people. Fortunately, it is Blest’s goal to continue to work on the technology and eventually create a machine that will be affordable for everyone.
In the meantime, perhaps it is time for businesses with a large need for oil and gasoline to invest in the continuous use versions. How fast could we clean up the planet if one large shipping company fueled their trucks on recycled plastic? Or how about if one of the major oil companies bought one of these machines?
Beginning Tuesday, August 24th, the city of Birmingham, Alabama will host the 2010 Green Building Focus conference and expo. This 3-day event, which will be held at the Jefferson Convention Complex, is designed to showcase the latest in sustainable building development. Focused on exploring the popular and growing demand for green building, this year’s conference aims to inform and educate the southeast region’s leading architects, engineers, property owners, and construction professionals, as well as students, faculty, and those interested in learning more about the recent trends, technologies and materials available in the green building movement. Read More »
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August 23, 2010 - No Comments
